Spottedleaf: If I'd Survived
Hey there! I just decided out of the blue today that I wanted to write a story, in Spottedleaf's point of view, about her thinking what would've happened if she hadn't been murdered. Spottedleaf: If I'd Survived "Oh hello there, young one. Are you okay? Would you like some thyme? You looked scared and shocked." The darkness slowly fades from your eyes and a misty forest comes into view. You drink in the cool night air, still shaken from your turbulent dream before this one. The moon shed a cold, silvery, light over the canopy and the leaves slowly rustled, creating a shady pattern of light and dark over the leafy floor. Just then, you notice a brush of soft fur against your pelt, and your heart begins to race again in terror. "Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you," The voice murmured again gently. You turn slowly, carefully, fearfully, to come face to face with a beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat. Her pretty amber eyes feel like it was warming your heart. They didn't seem evil, they just seemed concerned. "I'm alright," you manage to choke out, Before noticing that you were hyperventilating. The tortoiseshell purred gently. "I'm glad you are." She mewed. She pads closer and you shy away again, conscious of the fact that she was a complete stranger. The pretty tortoiseshell's eyes widen in surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry! Am I making you uncomfortable?" she gasped You shake your head; "No," You rasp warily. The tortoiseshell she-cat sighed a relief. "Once a medicine cat, always a medicine cat," She purred, but was that a hint of bitterness in her voice? "Who are you?" You question, relaxing as you manage to edge away against a tree trunk. "Me?" The tortoiseshell said in surprise. "My name is Spottedleaf." Your fur begins to rise and the night air seemed to get that much chillier in that single moment as you realize that you were talking to the long-dead she-cat from the time when Firestar was only an apprentice. "Are you Spottedleaf, the one killed by that Shadowclan cat?" You question warily further, curiosity bubbling up so fast that even the distant bark of a fox seemed like nothing. "Yes, why do you ask?" She answered, sounding a bit guarded now that she was being questioned so probingly. A gnawing question pops into your mind, and before you could think, you blurted it right out. "Do you hate Sandstorm for stealing Firestar away from you?" You burst out. Spottedleaf looked quite taken aback by the question. "Why are you asking?" She repeated again, more quietly this time though. You shrug and grin inwardly as you realize that you had the upper hand now, not her, in this conversation. "Nothing much, just curiosity." You reply as casually as you could with curiosity screaming at you to just demand an answer immediately. Just a little longer, you tell yourself. Just a tiny bit longer... "A cat with big ears hear more than they should," Spottedleaf meowed abruptly and turned around stiffly, as if about to leave. "Wait!" You yowl, bounding forward. "Can I please come with you?" You beg, noticing that the air seemed to chill at the almost-departure of the she-cat. Spottedleaf stopped, as if thinking. "Alright," she said at last and turned around to glance at you, a silent warning to keep quiet about what you asked. You give a quiet sigh of relief, just loud for enough for the she-cat to hear. She twitches her whiskers in amusement and pads away silently. You scurry along after her and walked in silence for what felt like a moon. ''Oh Starclan, please let me be dreaming. ''You pray, as a tree dropped a soaking load of snow, wait, SNOW?! You look up; its now leaf-bare! White powdery flakes drifted down from the sky and one settled on your nose. "I never hated her," A quiet voice mewed from beside you You tear yourself away from marveling at how the landscape and season had changed so quickly and turned your attention toward your snow-dusted tortoishell companion. "I never hated Sandstorm," Spottedleaf continued, voice slightly quavering. "I just wished things could be different." "How?" You ask. "You were living your prime! You were respected, loved, valued, you had everything a cat could ever want!" Spottedleaf sighed. "You may think so, but medicine cats can not have a mate, or kits." Spottedleaf's expression became anguished. "They may not have a family!" She wailed. Spottedleaf stopped in her tracks. By now, the snow had stopped falling and the sharp, crisp, scent of leaf-bare had changed to the sweet, sunny, scent of new-leaf. Petals drifted down, twirled in the wind, as you turned around. As you caught up and looked into her eyes, they were clouded by seasons of carried grief, shut in for so long, and let out at once. "All I wanted was to be with Firepaw, Fireheart, Firestar, was that too much to ask?" Spottedleaf continued more quietly. "YES!" A voice snarled from the shadowy cover of leaves. "Yes!" More hisses echoed from the forest.